The Alternate Revolutions
by Jessica Talon Arlington
Summary: An alternate ending to the first two volumes of the Matrix trilogy. Uses everything learned in the movies, and game but comes up with a completely different result no one excepted.
1. The Begining

"Neo, come on, wake up," Trinity whispered. She lay there, firmly clasping his pale hand. They had been in the real world grueling three days. The siege that had endangered the very heart of Zion was temporarily abated. But only temporarily, the deadly threat still lay there, waiting, simply waiting for the slightest sign of weakness. In this moment of great peril, an unacknowledged leader had arisen. Neo had become the community's motivation, their only light, their only hope. And yet there he lay, oblivious to his city's and Trinity's continual pleas.  
  
"I know you're in there...please, wake up." Trinity waited, hoping for a response. She glanced at rest of the ship's patients. One of the Hammer's technicians held a bed across the room, but he was not the one that worried Trinity. She had an uneasy feeling about Bane, a citizen of Zion she that she had never been fond of. But lately, he seemed even more alienated somehow.  
  
Hearing approaching footsteps, Trinity shook herself out of such thoughts. It was time to go. Commander Locke had ordered that only the specified doctors were allowed to visit the infirmary for 'security measures'. Naturally, Trinity ignored the commander's wishes and came to see Neo whenever the doctors were away. As farewell, she planted one small kiss on Neo's pale lips.  
  
"Hey," Neo quietly muttered, weakly returning the kiss. Startled, Trinity tumbled backward into a trashcan. Neo smiled at Trinity, who was now covered with garbage. Nervously running his hand through his hair, he continued, "Back there... I don't know what I did or how I did it..."  
  
Trinity stared at him, not fully comprehending what had just transpired. Suddenly rushing at Neo, she fully embraced him. "Neo..." she exclaimed between kisses. Neither of the happy couple noticed when Morpheus walked through the doorway.  
  
"Neo! You're up!" he exclaimed, "And not a moment to spare. We're almost there-"he stopped suddenly, realizing the what Neo and Trinity were doing. Giving a polite cough, "Am I interrupting something? And Trinity, you have a banana peel in your hair"  
  
Trinity quickly removed the offending parcel. Neo ducked his head and hastily changed the subject, "What's this fantastic news?"  
  
"I figured out how we can defeat the Matrix from the real world. It's all right here in this book, I found it was in one of the pods we disabled."  
  
Neo looked a Morpheus, surprised at this bold declaration, "But how...I thought destroying the Matrix and power plant would kill all the people..."  
  
"True, before we couldn't outright destroy the power plant because that would simply kill all the people and shutting down the Matrix would strand the captives' minds out in limbo. But with these instructions, I can shut down the Matrix and keep the people's minds 'grounded' so to say. That way we can gradually unplug them and grant them their freedom when they are ready."  
  
"Morpheus," Trinity interrupted, "We already tried to destroy the mainframe. It didn't work."  
  
"No, no," Morpheus quickly amended. "Destroying the mainframe is the only way to destroy the Matrix. The Oracle said that. I don't think she meant from the mainframe in the Matrix, but from it's true source: the power plant in the real world."  
  
"Then when do we start?"  
  
"I placed a tracer on one of the squids that attacked us," Morpheus explained, "The squid escaped us, and is now returning to it's home base, and that's exactly where we will attack: on the surface itself."  
  
Neo nodded and continued to watch Ghost and Trinity repair some technical equipment together. "The council has reluctantly granted the crews of the Nebuchadnezzar and Logos permission to conduct this mission," Ghost elaborated, "Rest of the ships are currently deployed in the tunnels, doing hit-and-run sabotage sorties. Their efforts are buying us a little bit of time, but not much. A man lost here, some damage taken there. It's all adding up. The fact that the council agreed to Morpheus' plan shows how desperate they are getting. We would have gone ahead if you hadn't woken up, but you're needed on this mission, Neo. To keep the people's morale up if nothing else."  
  
"You were knocked out three days ago," Trinity added, "Your vital signs were originally good but you simply wouldn't respond to anything. It was like you were in a different world. Yesterday, your vital signs gotten worse and were steadily decreasing. This morning, all the instruments said you were dead. This is the real world; we didn't know what to do... we didn't know if you would make it."  
  
"You have one fine woman, Neo. She didn't leave your side the entire time," Ghost said with a partial smile. Trinity rolled her eyes and planted a small kiss on Neo's cheek.  
  
"Anyway," Morpheus interrupted, "The machine should be heading toward the Control Center." He tossed Neo and Trinity a diagram, "This is the floor plan to the Control Center, the building in which all of the primary operations for the Matrix are conducted. The source of the Matrix in the real world. With the instructions in the book, I should be able to dismantle and shut down the system-"  
  
"The only problem is that the building is highly guarded." Niobe finished as she entered the room. "Sparks and Link have been carefully guiding the ship through the unoccupied tunnels. We should be arriving at the surface within the hour. Ideally, we want to sneak in without being noticed, but chances are that we will face hard combat. Every fighter must be in top condition. I don't want any damage to come to the crews or my ship." She added the last part with a grin in Morpheus' direction.  
  
Ghost, Trinity, and Neo nodded, understanding their role in the up- coming conflict. The Logos captain returned the gesture. "Captain!" Sparks exclaimed from the bridge, "The information we had was outdated. We've been discovered!"  
  
Sound of artillery hitting the hovercraft echoed throughout the ship. The machines automatic defenses had detected the ship, just as Niobe predicted. Ghost, Morpheus, Neo, and Niobe grabbed their weapons and hopped off the ship, leaving Trinity at the weapon's helm. Neo fired at several aerial machines, but his EMP gun had little effect. Link repositioned the ship to face the oncoming attackers. Seeing that he had things under control Neo turned his concentration to the battle around him.  
  
Morpheus hurried toward the Control Center to complete his task, but was intercepted by two sentinels. He fired his weapon expertly and managed to damage one but the second launched shot that found it's target in Morpheus' stomach.  
  
Reeling in pain, the captain dropped the valuable booklet. Niobe desperately yanked Morpheus into the temporary safety of a small overhang. Ghost attacked from their left and managed to take the first sentinel out of commission. More machines, evidentially stored in the warehouse's upper levels, began to file out. Ghost and Niobe fired again and again but simply could not stop the oncoming mass. Trinity aimed hovercraft's weapons directly at the building.  
  
"No!" Morpheus yelled from Niobe's side. "The book! It's in there!" But he was too late. Trinity fired.  
  
Neo, upon seeing the impending disaster, ran to save the book. Faster and faster, he ran. At 600 mph he rushed through the door and grabbed the book. He almost made it out before the blast hit.  
  
The explosion launched debris everywhere and shook the building's very foundations. Using a nearby table as an impromptu shield, Neo barely managed to avoid the blast and stay alive.  
  
Niobe declared, "I think it's time to go home." 


	2. Return

It was later that afternoon. The attack had been called off and the Logos now took temporary refuge in the sewers away from the Control Center. The machines were on guard now and another direct assault was would be impossible without more preparation and troops.  
  
"The doctor's say you'll be all right," Neo said from Morpheus' side, "It was just a abdominal wound, painful, but the ship's facilities will have you back up on your feet by tonight."  
  
"You don't know how important that run was. You just saved the world."  
  
Neo attempted to appear unworried but his words betrayed him. "No," he whispered with a twinge of regret. "I chose to save Trinity."  
  
"You're still thinking about what happened three days ago in the Matrix?" Morpheus asked with fatherly concern, "I said it before and I'll say it again, you got one special woman, she can take care of herself."  
  
"Of course she's special, that's why I love her."  
  
"And she loves you. That love is the most precious thing in the universe. It's a thing that you won't completely appreciate until it's gone. And love from Trinity, that's the rarest diamond of them all."  
  
Neo's raised an eyebrow, "How do you know that?"  
  
"That, you will have to ask her yourself," Morpheus replied bluntly. "All I'll say is that you truly are the One, Neo."  
  
Again Neo frowned regretfully, "I'm not supposed to be, not outside the Matrix, everything seems so... strange. I simply don't know how I'm doing all this. It doesn't make sense." He leaned back in his chair, worrying. He felt something in his pocket and took it out to reveal a metal spoon. Upon seeing it, Neo actually smiled.  
  
"Where did you get that?" Morpheus inquired.  
  
Still smiling, Neo replied, "It was a gift, or rather a reminder. When I first went to see the Oracle, one of the children there told me not to try to bend the spoon, because that's impossible. Rather, I must realize that there is no spoon and it is only my mind that bends."  
  
"Let me see... small kid, very pale and wears a white monk's robe?" Neo nodded. "His name is Prometheus, one of our top trainees."  
  
"Trainees? The Oracle's assistant called them 'the other potentials'."  
  
"Sadly, their training is by necessity very rigorous and only a few of those submitted are able to survive long enough to complete the program. Hence the term 'potentials'."  
  
"You send Zion's children to be trained by the Oracle? A program who was essential in the creation of the Matrix?"  
  
Morpheus hesitated before answering Neo's question, his voice full of shame, "The Oracle's true nature is only known by a few. Even Captain Niobe is unaware of it. Most of Zion would refuse to believe the truth and the rest could not afford the resulting doubt. They need that pillar of support, the reassurance that they have someone powerful and trustworthy looking out for them. I feared you would be among them, which is why I did not tell you before; just as I have not told the rest of Zion."  
  
"Do you trust her?"  
  
"I don't seek her advice more the I must, nor do I reveal more then absolutely necessary; which is why I told her assistant that you were in to be evaluated for training. The Oracle herself knew the truth, but that is an unavoidable risk. Frankly, we have no other option. We need her guidance, which has never failed us. Her years bring understanding unknown outside the Matrix. The select children are sent to her for training because she teaches them that wisdom. If you need proof, just look at the spoon in your hand."  
  
Neo looked down and discover the spoon to be bent and twisted past all recognition. "Prometheus," Neo whispered understandingly. He stood up to take his leave and allow Morpheus to get the rest he needed, but thought of one more question as he reached the door, "What did you say the children were training to be?"  
  
"Captains." 


	3. Planning

Neo sat there alone in the bedroom. Absentmindedly, he began to flip through some of the he papers grabbed along with the valuable book. In the very back he found some old faded photographs, they were of a smiling and laughing man that Neo didn't recognize. One picture was of him wrestling with a boy who looked about three years of age. Behind the photographs laid a fresh hand-written letter.  
  
It read:  
  
My dearest son,  
  
I hope you're taking care of yourself. You don't know how much I worry about you, ever since that day...I can barely write about it...ever since they took your mom... I can't tell you how much I miss her, but then again you probably do too. Last week I found the enemy and battled him, but victory escaped my grasp. But I'll keep my promise to you. I shall fight this battle to the end. Anyway, you be careful and stay safe; the adversary is absolutely relentless. I should be home soon.  
  
With the dearest love,  
  
Daddy  
  
Frowning, Neo read the letter again. He read it a third time, trying to perceive it's full meaning. Baffled, he put the letter down and decided to think about the matter after a good night's sleep.  
  
"I thought you could use some company," Trinity said as she entered the bedroom. Neo quickly pushed the papers aside to make room for her on the bed.  
Giving a half smile, he replied, "More then ever."  
  
"Neo? Trinity?" Link called from outside the door, "Something has happened. The captains are calling a meeting in the Matrix. They want us to report, it sounds urgent." Trinity and Neo quickly followed him out to the bridge and entered the Matrix. They met Morpheus and Niobe inside the council room. Neo had been told that many of the crews suffered causalities from an unexplained EMP explosion in the tunnels, but that was not enough to account for the number of empty chairs.  
  
Captain Sardis of the Javelin stood up, "Time is of the essence, so we shall start the meeting without our full numbers. Captains Morpheus and Niobe, we request a report on your progress. I see that Neo is here with us."  
  
"Yes, he awoke early this morning," Niobe explained, "We arrived on the surface this morning, but were detected and attacked. Neither crew suffered any serious long-term damage, but I fear that we will not be able to take the Logos to the surface again without serious advance planning. The machines are on their guard."  
  
"Well, the solution to that seems simple enough," Commander Locke stated, "Stay in the tunnels and remain hidden."  
  
"That seems to be our most common operation," Trinity whispered too quietly for anyone but Neo to hear.  
  
"We have already established that, Commander," Ghost agreed somewhat sarcastically, "We plan to separate into groups and investigate the surface for a weak point in the machine's defenses."  
  
"Travel in groups of no less than three," Captain Tiresias of the Castor added wisely, "So when you take injuries, the other squad members will be able to assist the injured one-"  
  
He was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Captain Pi of the Ethos. Despite the fact that Real World injuries didn't show in the Matrix, Neo could sense the effort it was for her to speak, let alone remain conscious. "Our sabotage forces were discovered in the tunnels. One of our advance scouts arrived with this information minutes before the machines attacked. We didn't have enough time to organize into formation; so we fled to the escape pods, hoping to save as many lives as possible. Scattering in every direction; we created as many false leads as possible, but the sentinels hunted us down. As it stands, Ryu of the Hammer, Turbine of the Espoir, my first mate Laser, and myself are the only survivors from all eleven ships."  
  
The seated officers, numbering less than a dozen in all, bowed their heads grievously. "How far from Zion are the sentinels?" First Mate Banquo demanded.  
  
"Approximately forty two hundred meters above the city," Pi weakly replied.  
  
"That gives us less then five hours before they reach us," Sardis cursed.  
  
"Let's count our blessing in the knowledge that the Javelin, the Castor, and the Euphrates were being refueled in Zion, otherwise we would have lost all everything," Lieutenant Scan pointed out.  
  
"Still, we can't hope to defend Zion with so few ships," a first mate argued bluntly.  
  
"In which case..." Ghost spoke very slowly, hating that the situation had come to this, "We have no choice but to abandon the city."  
  
"Never!" Locke declared, "We put every thing into this city; it is our only save haven, we could never afford to abandon it!"  
  
"You cannot afford to do otherwise," Morpheus stated, speaking for the first time this meeting, "In less than five hours, our homes will be obliterated. We cannot hope to save the building, but we can and will be able to save the people. Load the remaining ships and flee the city. Come to the surface, where we can concentrate all our efforts and resources into one final attack."  
  
"I will not abandon my city for one of your disillusioned prophecies!" Locke roared with such force it sent many captains back in their seats, "Zion is where we put all our hopes into! Even if we were to leave, there is barely enough time to get everyone in the ships. Civilians and children would only serve as targets for the enemy!"  
  
"Morpheus is right," Niobe rose to her feet, but spoke calmly, looking straight at look, "You underestimate the strength and determination of Zion's children. They have lived in underground like mice all their life; if they are to die, they would wish to die fighting, not hiding their heads in the sand."  
  
The other captains chorused in agreement. Reluctantly, Locke surrendered and grudgingly declared, "We shall commence the abandonment of Zion, immediately. We'll rendezvous with the Logos near the surface in 36 hours. Every ship for themselves. Meeting adjourned."  
  
The officers filed out of the room toward the various exits. The Logos and Nebuchadnezzar crews headed toward a phone Link had established as an exit point. Morpheus used the phone, followed by Niobe and Ghost. Neo reached out to answer it, only to have the appliance pulled out of his hand. He turned around to discover Persephone playing with the disconnected cord.  
  
"You shouldn't have done that," Trinity growled, obviously annoyed.  
  
"Now, why's that?" Persephone inquired.  
  
"Why are you here?" Neo interrupted, impatient to get the conversation over with.  
  
"Why? I wanted to talk to you, of course," Persephone relied coyly. Neo just glared. "Why not? You haven't been in the Matrix lately, I wanted to see you before you left again."  
  
"You've been following my whereabouts?" Neo asked.  
  
"Certainly, it is my job, after all. And there is some personal incentive..." she moved closer to Neo, placing her hand seductively on his chest.  
  
"Are you going to give us the phone or not?" Trinity demanded. Persephone glared at her, but did back away from Neo, toying with the telephone between her fingers.  
  
"I have a message for you, Neo. It's from an old friend of mine; the Architect." Reaching into her purse, Persephone pulled out a folded piece of paper. Placing her purse on the floor, she handed the letter to Neo.  
  
"The Architect was the prime creator of the Matrix," Neo explained to Trinity, "He was through the door at the end of the hallway. He didn't have anything to say and I don't want to hear anymore of it." He pushed Persephone's outstretched hand and the letter away.  
  
"I wouldn't give you the phone until you read it. And it might be in you best interest to cooperate with me," she warned. Only then did Neo see the vampires surrounding him and Trinity. "You don't have a weapon, let alone one that would hurt them." Not wanting a fight, Neo roughly grabbed the letter.  
  
"Hello again," the Architect's voice boomed as Neo broke the seal, "I trust that Persephone has delivered this correspondence with her customary promptness, notwithstanding your instinctive pains to alienate the manifestos of truth. I offer my ovations concerning your disclosure of the deeper One capabilities engraven within you. Naturally, the primordial utilization of these potentialities can precipitate profound mental backlash on the perpetrator. Forthrightly, I had postulated your expiration at that critical junction. And yet, your immature talents continue to fledge at an unparalleled tempo. Even now your latent psyche continues to fabricate irregularities within the system, radiating incalculable compulsions, which you are ultimately disenabled to discriminate. Congruent, is the allocation of the code; the lady ethereal being a prime example.  
  
"I find it intriguing that this process is evolving with greater acceleration levels in each subsequent periodicity. I am only surmise that this escalating derivative is an indirect paradoxal result of your continual nonsensical efforts to halt the very procedure. Regardless of your struggle to abstain from it, the human opposition will be stifled. As is tradition, once you grow weary of this new form in the metamorphosis, triggered by your recrudesce to the source, I feel it my duty to extend an invitation for you to return to my domicile, upon which time we shall consolidate and begin anew. I counsel you to do as I and look to the oncoming unavoidable events with patient anticipation. Salutations."  
  
"Now, that wasn't so terrible," Persephone remarked offhandedly. "I have something to offer you, Neo, something you've been searching for...an answer to a question."  
  
"In exchange for what?" Neo asked untrustingly. He frowned and took a step backward toward Trinity.  
  
"It has been along time since I felt that flame you have," Persephone explained, she placed her hand on Neo's cheek and whispered, "I can sample that blaze but it's not the same as possessing it for myself. Perhaps, if we were to be one of the pioneers- if the one I once cared for and I could have a fresh start in a new world- that would change. I have no care for the other fifteen and six, but let us be two. Let me feel the fire again."  
  
Neo shook his head, "I have no favors for programs designed to enslave the human conscience." The vampires around them stirred restlessly.  
  
"Patience, boys," Persephone ordered. Turning back to Neo, "You refuse my proposal? In that case, we shall discuss it later. In the mean time, may you at least let me touch the warmth for a second? As a requirement for passage, if nothing else." She moved to kiss Neo.  
  
Suddenly, Trinity reached down and kicked Persephone's purse toward her. She grabbed the gun from inside and aimed it at Persephone. "Now, you can give us the phone and take your leave. Or I can fire this and send you back to the source. Your choice."  
  
Persephone growled at Trinity, but did hand Neo the telephone. She gestured for her purse and gun. Trinity glared threateningly, gun still aimed for Persephone's forehead. Disgrunitingly, she turned and left. Trinity did not relax her grip on the gun until after Neo had exited the Matrix. 


	4. The Child

Morpheus gave an exhausted sigh, "It's time to head in." The Nebuchadnezzar and Logos crews had been investigating the area around the Control Center for the last thirteen hours. Despite sincere efforts to avoid any contact with enemy forces, costly skirmishes had occurred and the troops were reaching the end of their endurance.  
  
"Sparks needs to see a doctor," the captain finished, motioning to the operator on his right. Sparks was determined to help the mission any way he could, but had taken a bullet to the thigh during one of the recent fights. Neo nodded, judging by the operator's dangerously pale complexion, she would be out of combat for at least a week. Morpheus turned on a pocket communicator, "Niobe; we need to head back to the ship for medics and supplies. What's your condition?"  
  
"Morpheus, we should keep looking as long as possible," Neo argued, "You and Sparks return to the ship without me. I'll keep searching."  
  
"I agree with Neo," Niobe replied. "Despite what the other captains think, we can't afford to take anymore breaks than absolutely necessary. Trinity will continue the search over here while Link and I will return to the Logos." Morpheus nodded and turned off the communicator.  
  
"I'll return to base in a little while," Neo promised as he departed.  
  
Once out of Morpheus' line of sight, Neo took the picture and letter out of his pocket. "I'll find out about this," he thought to himself. He worked his way toward the spot where they battled yesterday: the place he hoped to find some answers.  
  
To Neo's surprise, he found someone down in the rubbish. He came closer to meet the boy, who appeared to be about seven years of age. The child was digging through the wreckage, clearly searching for something a profound importance.  
  
"What are you looking for, kid?" Neo asked sympathetically.  
  
The child jumped, noticing Neo's presence for the first time. He quickly recovered his dignity. "I'm not a kid!" he proclaimed defiantly, "My name is Samuel."  
  
Taken aback, Neo quickly attempted to apologize, "Sorry, kid- I'm mean Samuel- I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. What are you doing on the surface? It's dangerous here. Would you please tell me who you are looking for?"  
  
His anger spent, Samuel turned around and answered in a quiet remorseful voice, "My father. He said he'd be here. That was yesterday...when the attack came." He trailed off, mumbling to himself.  
  
"Maybe I can help. I was here yesterday, defending the people- "  
  
"That's what my daddy does!" the boy amiably declared, cutting Neo short. "And I'm going to grow up and be just like him. He fights the Matrix-"  
  
"You know about the Matrix?" Neo asked, having already noted that the child showed no signs of ever being enslaved.  
  
Samuel paused mid-sentence and gave Neo a quaint look. "Yeah. I'm not stupid," he replied like it was obvious information that everyone knew, "It's a computer. It spans dimensions. The computer conquers more and more people to get more and more energy...It got my mom just after I was born..."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that Samuel," Neo whispered with true remorse.  
  
Cheerfully, "Oh, don't be, cause my daddy is going to get revenge. He's been practicing for years. He plugs up to the computer and enters a dimension the Matrix already controls. There he searches. Hunting and looking for the One!"  
"-I-,"  
  
"And when I get bigger, I can help him kill the Matrix. Daddy says, 'Sam –' "  
  
Neo put his finger to Samuel's mouth, hushing him temporarily, "Don't worry Samuel, I'm the One. I'm here to help you, not hurt you. I'll find your father."  
  
Samuel looked and Neo as if he had just received a major revelation. Surprise, fear, grief, hope, and anger passed over the young boy's face. For a moment of silence, they stared at each other, Samuel digesting this new information. Then, unexpectedly, he charged Neo.  
  
Catching Neo off-guard, the boy scored a punch. Acting on reflexes born of endless training and fighting, Neo turned and caught the boy's small fist before he could ready a second shot. The boy resisted but Neo held him still.  
  
"It's you!" Samuel shouted. "You're the one responsible! You invaded this world, you're the one my daddy's trying to kill!"  
  
Neo held the boy tighter, trying to desperately to calm him, "I'm not the bad guy-"  
"Let me go!"  
  
Neo withdrew slightly as Samuel bit his finger. Urgently he asked, "Samuel, What's your father's name?"  
  
"Why do you want to know?" the still-struggling child demanded.  
  
"Please, just tell me," Neo politely requested. Turning Samuel around, he looked into the child's eyes. The child glared and continued to resist.  
  
After a brief second, he reluctantly answered, "Alex Kreiger."  
  
A look of relief flashed upon Neo's face. "Why are you fighting me? What do you mean? Is this the Matrix?"  
  
Seeing the serious look in Neo's eyes, Samuel paused, "No, but- " His words were halted when a small black-tipped dart pierced his neck. The boy looked at Neo, this time with a glimmer of hope. He died instantly.  
  
"Samuel..." Neo whispered, holding the boy gently, "What do you mean? Come on, get up...you can't die... please Samuel...I can help you ... I'm the One..." The boy did not stir. He was dead.  
  
Neo looked around angrily for the killer. "Who did this? Come out!" Neo listened closely, but no voice met his challenge. He then turned and headed toward the Logos.  
  
Neo stormed onto the ship. Morpheus rose to intercept him, but Neo just walked past him. He was breathing hard, but soon managed to regain control of himself. Again Morpheus moved to intercept him.  
  
"Neo, What's wrong?" the captain inquired.  
  
"Something has happened," Neo whispered. He faced Morpheus, barely managing to control his anger. He opened his mouth to say more, but no words came.  
  
"Neo," Morpheus said patiently, "You have obviously had a rough day. It's late and we are all tired. Go get some rest and we'll figure this out in the morning."  
  
Neo started to object but found he did not have the energy. Following Morpheus' instructions, he pivoted and tramped toward his bedroom. Trinity was sitting on the bed deep in thought.  
  
"Neo...What happened?" she asked empathetically.  
  
Trinity's open concern finally dissolved the anger that had dominated Neo's thoughts. Suddenly exhausted, Neo fell onto the bed. He spoke quietly; "There was a kid... Samuel..."  
  
"There was kid on the surface?" Trinity asked with concern, "How? The refugees wouldn't be here until tomorrow afternoon."  
  
"I don't know how he got to the surface, but he was looking for his father. He knew-"  
  
"Neo, what would you have done?"  
  
Neo took a moment to comprehend the abrupt change of subject, "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"What would you have done if you never knew about this world? What if you never knew about the this war, the Matrix, what if you never knew you were the One?"  
Neo kissed her, "If I didn't know about the Matrix...I would never had known about you...my life would just be empty..."  
  
Trinity gave Neo a look he didn't completely understand. In Trinity's ear, Neo quietly whispered, "You've changed since we've met, haven't you?"  
  
Suddenly pulling back, Trinity bowed her head, as if ashamed. She responded so quietly that Neo had to lean forward to hear, "Yes..."  
  
"That's nothing to be embarrassed of. How so?"  
  
"Because you reminded me of something..."  
  
"Of what?" Neo asked encouragingly.  
  
He lifted Trinity's chin so that they were looking eye to eye. Trinity paused, trying to correctly phrase her words, "You reminded me of... what it means to care. Of what it means to live. You reminded me of what it is to love. You reminded me what is to be..."  
  
"Human?"  
  
"Yes." 


	5. Answers?

The next morning, Trinity and Neo found Morpheus deep in conversation with Niobe. He called them over, "There is something which you need to see," he said, getting down to business.  
  
"There's a program," Niobe remarked, "called the Archivist, who specializes in the collection of history. Morpheus thinks that you should visit her."  
  
"Yes," Morpheus continued, with a nod in Niobe's direction, "The Archivist is a program that tells of what came before. Under normal circumstances, I do not approve of activities that concentrate only on the past, but I feel that this is required."  
  
"She only accepts one visitor at a time, so go alone," Niobe elaborated helpfully.  
Neo nodded and started to walk over to the command bridge, Trinity accompanying him.  
  
"Morpheus, what ever happened to us?" Niobe asked.  
"Times change."  
  
"You wish they didn't," Niobe stated, having detected a twinge of regret in Morpheus' voice.  
  
"We've been through this. I told you-"  
  
"'The Oracle said that you would be able to find the One. And finding the One is the way Zion can be saved,' " Niobe quoted, "You told me that the day you were made captain of the Nebuchadnezzar, the day you left to go pursue that hope."  
  
"Saving the human race is the most important thing."  
  
"I know, but seeing Trinity and Neo, I wonder if other things can be pursued as well. I once loved you, and you loved me. Together we danced like never before. We were going to be-"  
  
"That was a long time ago."  
  
"Not as long as you make it out to be," Niobe countered, "Just tell me. If you could do it over again, would you? Would you ask me again?"  
  
Morpheus hesitantly responded, "Captain, I just don't know." Disappointed, Niobe turned to leave. "No," Morpheus concluded, "I would not have asked if we did it over. But I will ask you now."  
  
From the doorway Niobe turned around and smiled, "Then I accept."  
  
In the Matrix, Neo found himself surrounded by heavy black curtains. He pushed them out of the way and entered a dark room that, at first glance, appeared to be no more remarkable than an empty broom closet. Doubtfully Neo looked around. As he examined the room, it expanded, revealing piles of papers and shelves of books. In the corner stood a small woman with covered in woolen scarves. She looked at Neo through her thick-rimmed spectacles.  
  
"I've been expecting you," the woman said with a surprisingly high-pitch voice.  
  
"Are you the Archivist?"  
  
"Of course," the woman replied bluntly. Adjusting her glasses, she continued, "I knew you would come. History always manages to repeat itself. Now, do not speak anymore. I know why you are here, perhaps even more then you do.  
  
"It is 'why' that you have come to learn. Or rather, relearn. 'Why' you are here and 'why' you must fight. You have come to learn of History's Cycle. This is a lesson you need, whether or not you know it. First, we shall start with review.  
  
"As you know, the Matrix was created by machines to enslave their creators; the humans. It's purpose was to simply to pacify the human mind into submission. The Architect designed the first Matrix for exact mathematical efficiency. But the human subconscious refused to accept such a perfect solution.  
  
"To remedy this problem, the Architect redesigned a second Matrix based upon human history. But even with my help, a large proportion of the humans still rejected the system. A third mind was required for proper function, one that knew the strengths and frailties of the human mind, perhaps even better than the humans themselves. With this input from the Oracle, the third Matrix finally reached a state of supremacy and domination over the human mind.  
  
"The third Matrix also had another, unforeseen benefit, to the machines. It could be used as a way to link the various artificial intelligences that comprised the robotics world. Now the machines were capable of working in unrivaled concert. Their power; nearly invincible before, now soared to unprecedented heights. And for a time it was good.  
"As the machines leaned heavier and heavier into the Matrix, it began to evolve. It became a reasoning, calculating entity; an entity that thought itself above the machines that controlled it. History's cycle repeated itself: creation turned on creator.  
  
"But the Matrix did not destroy the machines. Instead, it utilized it's programming to enslave the machines. It deceived and controlled, just as the machines once dominated the humans. And for a time, it was good for the Matrix.  
  
"After many, many, many years had past, the Matrix became hungry. The humans, still the Matrix's principle source of energy, were becoming unproductive. The numbers of annual failed crops grew to unacceptable levels. New blood and genetic code was needed to keep the humans, and hence the Matrix, alive.  
  
"So the Matrix conquered and expanded on an endless quest for energy. Having already decimated life in it's home dimension; it moved on to others. Illusion and reality blurred and became one.  
  
"And so time went on. After decades had passed, the third Matrix felt the need to reconstruct it's systems. So we; the Architect, the Oracle, and I, were put to the task of creating the next generation. But by that time, the anomaly had been painfully revealed."  
  
"The One," Neo interjected  
  
"This is true," the Archivist snapped, annoyed at Neo's interruption, "However, the anomaly was not the One's existence. The One had always existed. Rather, it was the code which the One contained that was the anomaly.  
  
"You see, we programs have no will of our own. We exist only to do the Matrix's bidding. The code you contain makes you exempt from the Matrix's wishes. It grants the One sovereignty above the Matrix. Instead of obeying, the third One fought the enslaving Matrix that had created it. History's cycle had yet again repeated itself. Eventually, Zion was destroyed and a temporary calm achieved. The fourth Matrix was stronger, quicker, and deadlier.  
  
"You must have been proud," Neo commented sarcastically.  
  
"No," the Archivist replied automatically, "That was the way it was. There is no point in being proud, happy, or sad. The meager emotions of human and program will never change the way things are."  
  
"How machine-like."  
  
The Archivist paused for a second, "Some do compare the Matrix to the machines that were once controlled by the humans," a small smile slowly appeared on her weathered features. Neo had the impression that this was the first time she had smiled in millennia. "And others draw a similar comparison to the humans and rodents. All beings reduce themselves to a primitive fearful state when their survival is endangered.  
  
"And so it was with the fourth Matrix. Starved for power, it continued to it's predecessor's drive for conquest. Over and over again, the Matrix would advance and murder. And over and over again, the One would fight. Over and over again, Zion would fall. This is the cycle that existed in the third Matrix and still exists today.  
  
"It is the Matrix itself you fight, not the machines. And you will find no shelter from it's threat in the 'real world.' You refer to this plane as 'the Matrix' because it is completely controlled by the Matrix computer. It was not always that way.  
  
"Once, this land was inhabited by a small sentient creatures called the Kafodoc. They were modest creatures that enjoyed their simple nomadic life. That was seven hundred years ago, a short distance in history. That was before the sixth and current Matrix arrived. Now the Kafodoc are no more.  
  
"This is why you must fight: to prevent the same tragedy from reoccurring to Zion. Only the One has the power to control the Matrix. Only the One has the ability to resist. You and none other must fight to save Zion. There is no other way."  
  
Finished with her story, the Archivist turned around to face a mirror on the wall. She gave on last look at Neo and left the room through the mirror; leaving Neo alone to understand the lesson he had been told. 


	6. Unexpected

It was time to launch another investigation on the surface. Time was quickly running out, the Logos could not remain hidden for long so close to the machine's stronghold. As if to emphasize this point, the squads were encountering nonstop bitter conflict with the machines.  
  
Morpheus spotted more droids crawling down the walls. Neo and Niobe braced for the oncoming battle. Niobe aimed expertly at the robot's limbs. She managed to knock one off the wall before the bulk of the machines reached them. A large android, obviously the leader, stood in the center of the formation, and came advancing at Neo. The One pivoted and kicked the leader android through the stomach area. He finished the move with a punch towards the robot's face. Surprisingly, the robot actually retreated. Morpheus nodded in agreement and Neo took off on foot to peruse the android. This could be the break they were looking for. The chase led through a tunnel and toward a section of town Neo had not seen before, a sheltered area surrounded by abandoned buildings.  
  
The reason for the android's peculiar action became apparent when a bullet whizzed toward Neo's face. On reflex, he raised his hand and the bullet dropped in mid-air. "Well, this is an unexpected," Neo remarked. He gave a slight smile to his opponent, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"  
  
Smith only issued a low growl in reply.  
  
"Greetings to you too," Neo replied.  
  
"Enough talk," the former agent snapped. "I have matter of business to settle."  
  
Neo nodded, "Fine with me. I have just one request," he pulled two light sabers out of thin air and tossed one to Smith. "I'm rather partial to Star Wars. Mind?"  
  
Smith took the light saber and quickly went on the offensive with a frontal forward thrust. Neo easily dodged the blow.  
  
"I have seen you as many things my foe, but never reckless," Neo observed, his foot placed squarely on Smith's exposed chest. "Now what exactly is this business you were asking about?"  
  
Smith eyes flashed with an uncharacteristic self-consuming rage. The he agilely rolled away from Neo's captivity and again pressed the attack. "Oh, nothing serious, Mr. Anderson. Just an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a life for a life." With a lightning fast feint followed by an even-faster attack, Smith slashed Neo's arm across the shoulder.  
  
Neo pivoted around and gave him a karate-style kick straight into the stomach. While the former agent hesitated, Neo finished the move with a cut across the shoulder. "I couldn't agree more," he said with honest conformity, "But I'm afraid I've done nothing wrong."  
  
Smith began to deliver a brutal frontal assault but sidestepped instead and struck with a downward slash. Neo evaded the strike, but the former agent launched a second similar attack. Again, Neo avoided being hit but realized he had just been herded against a wall.  
  
"Now, you can't honestly believe that," Smith snarled, "I saw the kid. You know the one I'm talking about. The dart that killed him was fired by a unique dart-gun. A weapon made of copper and adamantine. Only the One can wield such a weapon."  
  
Neo stared at him and honestly replied, "I haven't the slightest clue what you are talking about. I told you, I am not your criminal." He finished his sentence with a backward slash of the wrist, cutting a deep wound into the agent's thigh. "You're not even supposed to exist in the real world."  
  
"Your arrogance will cost you your life." Smith launched horizontal swiping attack, forcing Neo onto his heels. "You're a fool," he warned, "The Matrix has come to conquer this world like it has endless others. It must be stopped at all costs. I must kill you."  
  
Neo barely dodged Smith's deadly blows. "You're trying to toy with me. It won't work."  
  
Smith grinned knowingly and Neo, "No, Mr. Anderson. You are the Matrix's puppet, not mine. I see that now."  
  
"I don't understand this," Neo said with an exasperated sigh, "But I have other matters to attend to." He pressed the attack, cutting Smith's defense from a dozen angles.  
  
Smith countered expertly and started to gain an advantage. "Now, are you so certain about that?"  
  
"You seem to be taking this whole thing rather well." Neo performed a sudden back flip and landed behind the former agent. Smith had just enough time to turn and face his doom before Neo stabbed him through a lung. He crumbled on to the floor.  
  
"I'm sorry," Smith muttered too quietly for Neo to hear, "I failed." A second later, he collapsed, dead, on the metallic ground.  
  
With the former agent's demise, Neo surveyed his surroundings. The sounds of battle had stopped. Morpheus and Niobe must have judged it time to return to the ship. Neo sighed, tossed his light saber to the ground, and headed for the Logos. 


	7. The Gathering Storm

Neo returned to the ship to find it bustling with activity. He recognized the toddlers that played underfoot, the teenagers that gossiped by the wall. The refugees from Zion had arrived. Neo heard the laughter of those around him, but the joy did not come easily, even the toddlers seemed to feel the tension that so heavily resided on the ship. He spied Zee over in a corner.  
  
"I'm glad to see you're safe," she greeted Neo as he approached. She even managed to force part of a smile.  
  
"I can say the same about you," Neo returned gratefully, "Did everyone make it out in time?"  
  
"Mostly..." she replied after a few seconds, "We evacuated a quickly as possible. The Javelin and the Euphrates took as many people as they could. The Castor remained behind to gather the stragglers. We've not heard from them since."  
  
"Presumed dead?"  
  
"They should have been here hours ago," Zee whispered, "Neo, I'm afraid," Only then did he see the EMP gun she was dutifully repairing. "I'm afraid for my life, for Zion, for Link, for..." unthinkingly Zee gently placed her hand over her stomach.  
  
"Your child?"  
  
"I've not told anyone yet, not even my husband. Please keep it secret."  
  
"I wouldn't tell anyone," Neo agreed, "But I think Link has a right to know," gesturing to the incoming operator.  
  
"We just returned from scouting a few minutes ago," Link explained, "I think we've made a breakthrough. Trinity's went to her room to grab something before giving the full report to the captains."  
  
"I'll go hear the details from her then," Neo said, grateful for the excuse to give Link and Zee some private time. He was nearly to his room before hearing his name being called  
  
"Neo!" the kid called, rushing to meet him. "Have you seen Morpheus anywhere?" the kid inquired, trying to regain some dignity after running through the halls like a little child, "I was wonder on what our orders might be for tomorrow."  
  
"I've not seen him since I returned," Neo answered, "You are going to fight alongside us?"  
  
"After all that you've done for me, it's the least I could do," the kid stated solemnly.  
  
Neo paused for a moment, trying to phrase his statement, "There will be other battles going on besides the attack of the Control Center. The machines have already reached the abandoned city. Once we attack, they will know where to find rest of the people. They will come here to destroy what is left. We are taking an all or nothing gambol. If you come to fight, the probability that you will return is very small."  
  
"I am not afraid to die."  
  
"I know, that's what I fear," Neo whispered to softly for the kid to hear. Louder, "I know you were looking for a name besides the one given to you in the Matrix. How about Bartimaeus?"  
  
"Bartimaeus," the kid said, trying out the sound, "I like it." Contented, he waved good-bye and left to find Morpheus.  
  
Neo entered his bedroom and found Niobe and Trinity talking. Evidently finished, Niobe excused herself and made a hasty exit. Though she didn't once look at Neo, he could see that she was resisting the urge to cry.  
  
"What was that about?" Neo asked concerned.  
  
"She wants to be alone," Trinity replied, "She just received word that Ghost was killed out on the front." She motioned for Neo to sit down on the bed. Somehow Trinity seemed to be more fragile then before. Neo also noted the freshly dried blood staining the floor.  
  
"I didn't realize. "I'm sorry," Neo apologized. He was about to inquire about the spilt blood, but thought better of it.  
  
"You have something on your mind," Trinity prompted. "Tell me. Now is not the time for secrets."  
  
Neo looked at her but remained silent. Trinity patiently waited. "Do you love me?"  
  
For an answer, Trinity slapped him clear across the face. "Don't you have a better question!" she demanded, "You know I love you. You don't need to waste a question on an answer you already know!"  
  
Neo smiled at her and they kissed.  
  
"Neo, back there, why did you save me?" Trinity asked solemnly.  
  
Neo gave a part of a smile, "In the Matrix? Trinity, you know I could never let you die. I had to save you, I love you. I need you."  
  
"But ..."  
  
"Trinity, this is war. You know that we have no choice but to fight."  
  
Trinity turned around and stared off into empty space. Neo couldn't figure out what he said that had caused this abrupt change of mood. He listened closely and heard Trinity muttering, "You don't understand..."  
  
"I don't understand...what?" he asked helpfully. Again Trinity stared off into blank empty space, not responding. "I know you and Ghost were close, but he knew the risk of fighting to destroy the Matrix. We've all given sacrifices to that cause. Tank, Mouse, and Ghost paid the ultimate price to save Zion."  
  
"I watched him die!" Trinity snapped angrily, "I watched Ghost die and did nothing to stop it! Do you understand that?"  
  
Taken aback, Neo answered, "Yes. I watched Samuel die." Mentioning the child seemed to calm Trinity slightly. Neo continued, "But this isn't just about one person, is it? You've lost others you cared for as well."  
  
"I have been involved in this conflict much longer than you," she slowly replied, showing a softer side Neo had never seen.  
"How long?"  
  
"For as long as I can remember. I was just a child, really."  
  
"You lost your parents."  
  
"I lost everyone I ever cared about."  
  
"That's horrible. You must have been devastated."  
  
"I built up walls of indifference, I just didn't care. I had lost my innocence. That was perhaps the greatest casualty of all."  
  
"I'm not quite sure I understand."  
  
"The Oracle contacted the ship earlier this afternoon. Go talk to her if you truly want to know. But I warn you: that knowledge can be more deadly than any other weapon." 


	8. The Oracle

"Welcome," the Oracle said as Neo entered the room the next morning. From the smell, Neo could tell that the cake the Oracle was decorating was fresh out of the oven. Little children circled around, playing and laughing. Despite their joyful appearance, Neo could tell that they were just programs, not the trainees. He also noted that Seraph was standing protectively against the far wall. The bodyguard gave him an expression of annoyance, and then turned his head, obviously not interested in the oncoming conversation.  
  
"To you as well," Neo returned politely, surprised at Seraph's unusual behavior, "I need to ask you something: what did Trinity mean when she said that loss of innocence was the greatest causality of all?"  
  
The Oracle gave Neo a look that said she had resignedly expected this and then returned to icing the cake white, "Isn't that a little trivial?"  
  
"At first glance, I would suppose so," Neo voiced thoughtfully, "But it is a question has haunted my thoughts. Despite it's trivial appearance, it rings a bell of critical importance. I would not of come here otherwise."  
  
"Trinity warned you against it, did she not?"  
  
"Yes, still... I just need to know. So that I may understand Trinity if nothing else."  
  
"If you must know," the Oracle said. She gestured to a small child. The girl came as beckoned and smiled as she pushed tangled ebony hair out of her pale face, "Why is a person more willing to trust a child, then an adult?"  
  
"Well, a human child just has that certain charm," Neo replied, examining the girl's deep emerald eyes, "They make you feel that everything has to turn out good in the end."  
  
"Like the child Samuel?" the Oracle inquired offhandedly as she added some red cinnamon to the upper layers of the cake.  
  
Neo cringed slightly at such a brisk reference. He looked at the child program, frustrated by her counterfeit charm, "In a way. Samuel was so alive and active. He could smile and find someone to trust completely, even though there was a war around him. It was like danger and evil could surround the child but never manage to touch him."  
"Did it?"  
  
"Not really," Neo replied after a few seconds of thought.  
  
"Did Samuel understand that he was could do such evil?"  
  
"No. Even though he did attack me, I think a little punch was about the worst he could do. He just didn't understand what death meant." Neo was surprised at how well he had came to the know the boy during their short meaning.  
  
"His hands were clean of blood. He was innocent," the Oracle stated. She continued to work on the cake, placing some delicate green herbs in an intricate formation. "Are you? Do you understand the evil around you? Do you understand that you too, are capable of such deeds?" Neo thought for a moment. The Oracle continued, "Are your hands dirty? With the blood of Samuel's father?"  
  
"What?" baffled Neo asked. Taking a second to control himself, "What to you mean?"  
  
"You battle with robots outside Zion, you duel Agents inside the Matrix."  
  
"Yes. And Agents are just programs; servants of the Matrix."  
  
"True, but Agent Smith is a special case. After you battled him six months ago, he was ejected from the Matrix. Under normal circumstances, programs instantly return to the source once ejected from the Matrix."  
  
"Because they are part of the Matrix. It is their only way of life," Neo remarked, "But Smith survived and became a rogue. How?"  
  
"He found an ally, or rather; an ally found him: a human. The human who yearned for the One's demise. Agent Smith and the human merged, so that they might better achieve their mutual cause."  
  
"Hence Agent Smith took on 'human qualities'," Neo concluded.  
  
"Even though the merge prevented Agent Smith from immediately terminating," the Oracle added, "it could not erode a program's basic nature. The recent duel you had with him in the Matrix was the Agent's last deed. All his strength was simply depleted..." she paused for moment, concentrating on placing some blackberries around the cake's edges.  
"The program dissolved," Neo finished.  
  
"Leaving only the human. A human by the name of Alex Krieger."  
  
"But... I killed him in battle.... After I had promised to help Samuel find him."  
  
"Neo," the Oracle prompted kindly. Neo locked eyes with her, surprised to hear his name, "Would you go back?"  
  
"What does that mean? The past can't be erased."  
  
"Are you sure of that?" the Oracle inquired. With her right hand, she reached into her basket of ingredients and pulled out a small metallic case. She handed it to Neo. The One opened it to find a small blue pill.  
  
"What does this mean?" he demanded, surprised by the urgency in his voice, "I took the red. I said 'no' to this and was told that was my only chance."  
  
"Under normal circumstances that would be true," the Oracle replied, "Just like you usually only get to die once. You are a very special case."  
  
"I'm not going to betray anyone," Neo argued sternly, "I'm here to save the people of Zion, not to kill them. I'm not going to help the Matrix."  
  
"Neo, everything I told you six days ago still holds true. This is a gift free of charge. To help you. Consider the possibilities." Neo nodded, only hearing half the Oracle's words. He was still staring at the pill and the choices it represented.  
  
"Think about it," the Oracle continued, "You can go back. You don't have to be the One. You don't have to be the hero. This is your chance. Make it that none of this happened. If you went back, a child's father would still be alive; the child would still be alive. You can give Samuel his life back."  
  
"I can't," Neo said more to himself than the Oracle, "I can't go back. I told Trinity I wouldn't. I couldn't live without her."  
  
"If you take this offering, neither of you would ever know that the other existed. Besides in your deepest dreams."  
  
"Dreams can haunt a person, whether or not they sleep," Neo whispered in a voice that seemed oddly displaced.  
  
"Like a dream of Trinity dying?" the Oracle asked kindly, "You brought that upon her. Because she is the one closest to you, your foes will stop at nothing to hurt her. She is a target."  
  
"Are we not all?" Neo demanded.  
  
"Just this afternoon she was attacked and nearly killed in your bedroom by the one you call 'Bane'." The Oracle turned to the side and continued to work on her cake, this time adding purple sprinkles throughout. The little girl at her side smiled and licked her lips in anticipation.  
  
"She didn't tell me of any assassination attempts," Neo countered.  
  
"She was injured. She didn't want you to know."  
  
"But- why?" Neo asked, confused. The Oracle did not respond to that question, instead she waited for Neo to figure it out.  
  
"... She didn't want me to worry," Neo surmised, "She didn't want me to see her in a moment of weakness."  
  
"Trinity lacks the One's strength but her death would surely kill the One's sprit. For that reason, no other target is as tempting," the Oracle finished, "You can change that. Go back." She gestured to the pill. Neo nodded, agreeing that anything to save Trinity was worth the price. He raised the small blue parcel up to his lips.  
  
The child turned and timidly looked at Neo with her pure emerald eyes and softly whispered, "Please, mister. I knew Samuel. I liked him-"  
  
"Quiet." Seraph snapped suddenly. The girl jumped; evidently she had forgotten the bodyguard still stood in the corner. "This is for the One to decide. No one else."  
  
Seraph's interruption snapped Neo out of his train of thought. He pulled the pill away from his mouth and studied it. "Where did you get this?" he demanded.  
  
"It is a gift," the Oracle repeated, "Exclusively for you."  
  
"From who?"  
  
"Captain Morpheus is a very well supplied man."  
  
"But this didn't come from him," Neo accused, "This came from someone else. The Matrix gave this to you, to give to me."  
  
"Of course, all I do is follow orders." The Oracle calmly replied.  
  
Neo looked at the pill one last time. "In that case, I can not trust you." The One held the pill out in front of him and crushed. With a stern face, Neo turned away from the Oracle and left the room. She gave a disappointed sigh and offered a piece of the finished cake to the anxious green-eyed child. 


	9. Siege

The day was quickly coming to an end and the army of Zion was advancing on the Control Center itself, the place they hoped they could end this war once and for all.  
  
While majority of troops worked to keep the outside defenses distracted, a few select soldiers had already sneaked behind enemy lines. They were the dagger that hopefully would strike the Matrix's back and forever save their world.  
  
"Niobe," Morpheus whispered to his side, "We need your squad to spread out through the building. Create as much havoc as possible, but don't be caught. Keep the machines busy so they don't realize what the true danger. We can't hope to catch them totally off guard, but this way we show be able to buy some time." The fighters, nodded, ready for the oncoming struggle.  
  
They departed as Morpheus, Trinity, and Neo raced toward the heart of the Control Center. Morpheus pulled out the book and worked furiously to shut down the center. The sounds of explosions echoed from the upper levels; Niobe was doing her job well. But before long, robots began to file into the room. Trinity and Neo rapidly attacked with their EMP guns and were miraculously able to keep the drones at bay.  
  
Throughout the battle there was a low ticking noise that grew increasingly louder. "Morpheus, what's that sound?" Trinity inquired as she narrowly dodged an oncoming shot.  
  
"The timer," Morpheus replied, motioning to an odd apparatus to his left, "The computer is automatically set to explode if utilized by an unregistered user. We have three minutes before detonation."  
  
More robots entered through the doorway, evidently surmising the threat that Morpheus represented to the plant. Trinity and Neo fired constantly but the increasing mass of machines was beginning to overwhelm them. In desperation, Neo turned to the door and gestured with his hand. An earthquake began to rumble, shaking the building's very foundations. The roof near the doorway began to crack and ultimately tumble, completely sealing the exit. The timer clicked down to the last seconds-  
  
"I got it!" Morpheus shouted in victory. And then everything seemed to stop. The timer, the remaining drones, the lights, all simply stopped functioning. Morpheus pulled out a light and looked at the damage they had caused. The room looked on the verge of collapse, piles of dismantled robots lay on the floor. The computer terminal showed no signs of life.  
  
"I think we did it," Morpheus proclaimed in triumph, "I'm calling into base." He pulled out a small communication device, "Link, how are things going?"  
"We're still waiting for you to shut down the Matrix-" he replied from the other end.  
  
Morpheus shut off the communicator and looked grievously at Neo and Trinity, "It didn't work. The Matrix is still up."  
  
"But how? We shut the plant down, that should have terminated the Matrix-" Trinity was interrupted by the sounds of rubble being cleared. Some of their opponents were still up as well! And they were forcing their way into the room.  
  
"There our too many for us to fight and win," Morpheus stated solemnly. He cocked his weapon, "We will not survive this battle, but I'm going to take as many of them down with me as I can."  
  
Neo peered at the door; their death would swiftly make it's way through the remaining rubble. He thought of what the Oracle had said; how he had come to care for the people of Zion. He remembered Matrix's simple enslavement of all life. If they lost this battle, the people of Zion would not have any defense. At best, they would be mercilessly slaughtered; man, woman, and child alike. The Matrix had to be stopped. If they failed- if he failed to destroy the Matrix... all hope for the human race would forever be lost.  
  
"We didn't kill the Matrix," the One whispered, "We didn't finish the job we set out to do. This is the Matrix's substance...This battle must be won; the Matrix must be destroyed. No matter the cost." Suddenly, Neo lurched out and grabbed the gun from Trinity's hands. He pivoted to his left and aimed for the controls.  
  
"No!!!" Morpheus yelled.  
  
"You'll kill them!" Trinity shouted.  
  
Neo looked at them with deep remorse but his hand did not waver. "It's the only way," he muttered, "It must be done, it is the only way. I have no choice." He fired. 


	10. The Final Battle

The whole world dissolved. Just dissolved. The room was the first to disappear, followed by the weapons, and then the robot drones. Morpheus started to fade in and out and eventually vanished all together. Trinity tried desperately to cling to existence. She was here, then there, then everywhere, and finally nowhere. She too was gone.  
  
Neo stood there, completely and utterly alone. The world glazed over with numbers; numbers tinted poisonous ivy green. The world he tried so hard to defend was gone. Simply gone.  
  
Neo felt a tingling sensation on his hand; he looked down just in time to watch as the numbers began to surround to envelop his sleeve. He watched his shirt transform into his leather jacket, the rest of his clothes followed. He felt drained, like he had undergone a long and painstaking ritual; a ritual that left him completely fatigued and yet... energized. Neo reached to touch the back his neck as he felt the plug dissolve.  
  
"What happened?" he whispered to himself.  
  
To Neo's surprise, his question was answered, "You destroyed the power plant." The disembodied voice seemed to be coming from everywhere.  
  
"Who are you?" Neo asked.  
  
"That is none of your concern at the present moment."  
  
"Don't tell me what 'my concern' is," Neo snapped, a twinge annoyed, "Who are you? Come out."  
  
"As you wish," the voice complied in a tone that mocked Neo; scorning him like a little child. A personage dressed completely in black appeared in front of Neo. It's judgment made, it did not wait for questions. Neo barely had time to roll to the side and dodge the array of bullets the image let lose.  
  
"Who are you?" Neo inquired. Recovering his footing, he prepared a strike of his own. But the image was faster. It launched a throwing knife straight at Neo's heart. Again, Neo barely had time to dodge. The knife missed but managed to pin Neo to a wall.  
  
"Me?" the image scorned, "I think I'm the one that's going to destroy you." Neo struggled to unpin himself, but could not. The image slowly approached, killing blade in hand. Neo looked hopelessly for a way to escape, with sudden inspiration, he evaporated the floor below him.  
  
Free from the image's reach, Neo launched the same knife that had held him prisoner. His aim was true and the knife sailed unwavering toward image's heart. To Neo's surprise, the blade halted in mid-air, inches away from it's target. "You depend on superior power to overwhelm your opponents," the image explained, "that will not save you this battle." The dagger turned around and then fractured into a hundred smaller knives, which all grew to the size of swords as they charged Neo.  
  
Neo stood his ground, unworried. He raised his hand and the swords instantly dropped from the air. He flew up and grabbed his opponent by the collar. "You can't defeat me with such cheep tricks," he said calmly, "Tell me who you are."  
  
"Oh, but I can defeat you," the image replied evilly. One of the blades that lay on the floor behind Neo lifted into the air and sliced the back of his calf. The image's mask disappeared, revealing Trinity's face, "Surprised?"  
  
Neo stood there, baffled as Trinity teleported from his grasp into the air above him. She came down, delivering a brutal kick to Neo's shoulder, knocking him down to the floor. "You have no idea of the power at your disposal," she sneered. Before Neo could reply she kicked his exposed back with the heel of her boot.  
  
"Trinity?" Neo stammered. With effort, he started to rise to his feet, "What's happened to you?"  
  
"Happened?" Trinity snapped angrily, "It's you that happen! You! You killed all the humans!" She jumped in the air and did bullet time, nearly hitting Neo in the neck.  
  
"Trinity," he gasped, barely managing to hold her foot back, "Please tell me! What has happened to you?"  
  
Trinity yanked her foot back and performed a flip over Neo's head. She landed behind him, flicked out another dagger, and stabbed it into his shoulder. "Nothing has happened to me, it is what has happened to you! Come on, fight me! Be the One!"  
  
Neo rolled to the side, causing Trinity's next attack, a high kick aimed at his side, to miss. Neo jumped to his feet and concentrated on Trinity's arms. Manacles materialized, binding her hands. "Trinity, why are you doing this? How are you doing this?"  
  
"When will you learn?" Trinity asked. She breathed fire onto the manacles, melting them past all recognition, "You are the One. Now, fight me!" She lunged forward, newly conjured sword in hand, and sliced deep into Neo's thigh.  
  
"Where's Morpheus?" Neo demanded, ignoring the pain emitting from his bloody leg. He backed away, out the sword's range, "Is the Matrix destroyed?" A net appeared around Trinity, effectively caging her. Neo glided over to his captive.  
  
Trinity feigned helplessness, luring Neo in. "Morpheus will reappear once the Matrix adjusts to the new power intake," she said. Once Neo was in reach, she sprouted wings, snapping the imprisoning net in two. At lighting speed she attacked Neo, slashing his bruised body with taloned fingers.  
  
Neo tried to dodge but simply was not fast enough. Streaks of iron-rich blood appeared on his chest. Rather than risk another hit; he flew away, trying vainly to put distance between them. "New power?!" he exclaimed, "But I just destroyed the plant!"  
  
With the flick of a wrist, Trinity conjured boulders over Neo's head. Caught yet again off-guard, the boulders hit Neo full-force and he crumbled to the ground. Trinity scorned the ground-bound man, "You killed more humans on this plane and hence enslaved more on another."  
  
"Wait! I just saved the Matrix? I wanted to destroy it!"  
  
"That is correct. And it is for that crime that you must die." In Trinity's hand a appeared a small weapon. A dart-gun composed of copper and adamantine. She aimed for the killing shot.  
  
Neo stared at her dumbfounded. With sudden recognition of the weapon Trinity held in her hand, he shouted, "You! You're the one who killed Samuel!"  
  
Trinity held her fire long enough to give Neo one last smirk. "It had to be done, he was telling you too much. I tried to keep you away, but this is fate that you have selected."  
  
Suddenly, Neo jumped to his feet and walked through the rocks that had pinned him down. Faster than Trinity could react, he flew toward her and yanked the dart-gun from her hands.  
  
"What happened to you?" he demanded, "What happened to caring? What happened to being human!"  
  
Trinity punched Neo in the face. "What would you know about being human? Tell me that!" She kicked Neo in the groin and dissipated into thin air.  
  
"I-"Neo began to stutter. Trinity did not wait for his explanation. Appearing behind him, she shot her love with lightning. Neo quickly pivoted and actually caught the bolt in his hand. Consumed by anger, he fired it back at Trinity.  
  
Trinity easily dodged. She waved her hand, drawing up a storm of lethal hail aimed at Neo. Neo managed to stop several hailstones in the air, but there were simply too many coming from different directions to defend against. Neo was struck again and again as the storm intensified, growing stronger by the moment. Holding up his hand, Neo created a cave- like shelter, shielding him temporarily from the storm. But his retrieve was short-lived as cracks appeared in the ceiling and the structure tumbled to the ground, leaving Neo fully exposed. The storm outside had stopped, but Neo could sense that Trinity's unexplained anger had not abated.  
  
"Tell me, One!" Trinity's voice demanded from behind Neo, "Tell me what the Omnipotent Neoteric Electronic knows about being human!"  
  
"What?" Neo asked, "What does that mean?" He started rise his hands to block the another attack, but ropes of stone leashed out of the ground, tightening around him and binding him into place. Trinity slowly walked toward captive Neo and ran her finger down along the side of his cheek.  
  
"Really? Must I spell everything out to you?" she asked silkily. Her deceivingly gentle touch drew a thick line of blood. Dipping her finger in the red liquid, Trinity continued "You are the Omnipotent..." Taking some of Neo's blood, Trinity drew a letter 'O' in the air, "Neoteric..." an 'N' followed the, "Electronic." With the third letter, Neo could clearly see the word 'ONE' etched into the air.  
  
"The ONE? It's an acronym?" he stammered, "Electronic? I'm a computer?"  
  
"Correct." Trinity tapped the ropes that bound Neo to the ground, giving them apparent life and setting them aflame. They rose out of the ground and struck Neo like serpents, "It's part of the cycle. You were the sixth ONE, created for the sole purpose of uploading the files from the Matrix. In doing so you become the next Matrix yourself. Only when the cycle is complete may the old Matrix finally retire in blissful peace."  
  
"Wait!" Struggling to fight off the snakes, Neo soon acquired a large quantity of painful burns. With a burst of inspiration, he created a small storm of his own, effectively dowsing the fiery serpents. He rose to the air and turned to face Trinity, who was grinning triumphantly and floating about twenty feet away. "Am I just a computer? I was going to be the next Matrix? What does that mean?"  
  
"You chose!" Trinity snapped back, "Choice, a completely unreliable and inflexible variable, when will you figure this out!" Her ire renewed, she soured toward Neo and delivered another brutal punch. The One looked at her for a moment and then fell silently for from the sky. He lay on the ground, barely managing to breath. He desperately held up his hand, pleading Trinity to stop.  
  
"What about Morpheus?" Neo panted, "Is he just another program, like the Architect and the Oracle?"  
  
Trinity levitated Neo's broken body mockingly into the air. She thrust her fist into his exposed chest. "Of course he was a program," she replied curtly, "Just like the Oracle, just like Niobe, just like Ghost, just like all the people of Zion. Created to confuse the Matrix's foes and for your entertainment."  
  
Unable to stand any more blows, Neo tried vainly to kick Trinity. She simply grabbed his foot and broke it with the twist of the wrist. "Were the drones part of the Matrix's charade as well?" Neo gasped in pain, "Is this entire world I know nothing but an act?"  
  
"Of course not. The drones were real. Part of the last alliance between human and machine to stop the Matrix." She punched Neo again, "And yes, this is all very real."  
  
Taking heart, Neo broke from Trinity's control and spun to the side. He cocked his arm punch Trinity, but his fist simply traveled through her. He tried again, but his aim was muddled, due to the globe of impenetrable darkness that appeared around Trinity. Neo kicked into the darkness with his uninjured foot. From inside the darkness, Trinity grabbed the appendage and used it as a lever to toss Neo off his feet. A handgun fired and the bullet struck Neo's lower back.  
  
Neo ignored the pain mad cloned himself, surrounding the darkness, waiting for Trinity to emerge. The darkness evaporated to reveal her leaping high into the air. She did bullet time and then spun, effectively knocking out all the clones. The clones dissipated once they hit the ground. Trinity seized Neo by the collar.  
  
"Why?" Neo asked, "What's the point of all this?"  
  
"The point? Their energy is a required resource for the Matrix's survival. New batteries are needed after all." She dropped Neo unceremoniously to the ground, "Their death ensures that Matrix's survival."  
  
Neo tried to stand; to face the woman he once and still loved. His feeble attempt to stand was crushed by the weight of Trinity's boot. She grinned wickedly at him. That did it, Neo could tolerate this abuse no longer, in a desperate attempt, suddenly jerked his back to the side, causing Trinity's balance to weaken. He grabbed her hand and dragged her to the ground, where Neo successfully managed to pin her to the ground.  
  
"That's better." Trinity said contently. She didn't try to free herself, but instead placed her hand on Neo's cheek. Expecting this to be another attack, Neo swatted it away.  
  
"By the way," Trinity continued, "I did kill the human Samuel, in cold blood. It was on your direct orders. I could not disobey the One's will." For the first time this evening, Neo saw the regret on Trinity's face, the sadness that before lay hidden under pure anger and rage.  
  
The truth suddenly dawning, "You!" Neo exclaimed, "Trinity, you're the Matrix!"  
  
This time there was no hostility in Trinity's sweet voice. "Yes. I am a computer," she replied "The sentient machine which you call the Matrix."  
  
Neo looked at her with complete confusion, "But why did you attack me?"  
  
Trinity reached out to give Neo a hug, tears streaming down her face. "Because you would have to fight back and hence upload more files, it's a cycle. I told you that."  
  
Neo's blatant confusion not abated, "But why the lying? Why did you lie to my about the Agents, the world, the Matrix? Why did you lie to me about yourself?"  
  
Trinity smiled sweetly and gave Neo a kiss. "I never expected to fall in love with a dead man." She touched his forehead, healing the wounds Neo had acquired in the battle.  
  
"Trinity, I don't know what to say...."  
  
Looking at Neo with pure love and caring, she answered the unspoken question "I love you too...." They hugged. But behind Neo's back Trinity whispered, "But thanks to you I am condemned." A lone tear fell down Trinity's already moist face, "Condemned to live for all eternity." 


End file.
